Author |
Iron Void - some beta please |
|
|
18-May-2009 3:06:05 PM
|
Hi all,
I don't know anyone who has climbed it.
Apart from the Tony Dignan quote '"watch me I'm going to die" in the guide, I assume it is not a chop route.
Can someone tell me what the gear is like ?
Can you protect the undercut start by placing gear from the ground ?
Cheers, JDB
|
18-May-2009 3:15:32 PM
|
I've belayed a few people who have backed off it!
|
18-May-2009 3:57:34 PM
|
Come on Patto and Wendy I posted almost an hour ago....Simey ?
You all having arvo tea in Nati ?
|
18-May-2009 6:32:39 PM
|
Yes you can protect the overhang from the ground but that is the easy bit. I got maybe half way up and could not fiddle any gear into a small seam and backed off and then fell off.
Have to say it scared the complete crap out of me. The route doesn't look that hard from the bottom, lots of good edges, it was the poor gear that scared me off. Take lots of small gear.
Anyway good luck with it and take it easy.
|
18-May-2009 8:25:38 PM
|
I cant remember if the very start was protected or if you re relying on your belayer for that bit
(definitely put an anchor in for the belay).
Not too hard off the deck...then you go left fiddle some small wires in from an awkward position then
do the tricky few moves up off them to a break where it eases off dramatically and you can get gear
in. When I got to this point my belayer asked me if the gear I placed was good and when I said it was
he said that he was pleased about that because all my other gear had fallen out already ... so I was
possibly unprotected for most of the climbing. I think technicaly the climbing is not hard for the grade
(maybe only 22) but to hang around and make sure you have put the gear in well in the middle of the
crux you would probably want to be comfortable at that grade (like I wasnt when I did it). The gear is
there but its strenuous to place it well and I didnt have the oomph to hang around and place it well.
Also the way the ropes pull on it might tend to lift them out once you've moved up past them.
Just nearby is Finger Prince, probably harder climbing wise but better protected (and a better route).
Maybe do this one first and if its ok then you'll be fine on Iron Void.
|
19-May-2009 9:23:53 AM
|
On 18/05/2009 JDB wrote:
>Come on Patto and Wendy I posted almost an hour ago....Simey ?
>You all having arvo tea in Nati ?
Sorry John, I was off trying to get my shoulder fixed so I could actually go climbing instead of hanging out on here. As you can see, no miracles occurred.
I've never led Iron void because I didn't like the gear in it. If for some strange reason I was inspired to lead a non laceable 23, i'd probably pick that one though. If you have stamina on small face holds and are good at placing small wires, often not in obvious or fantastic places and own lots of them so you can build a few nests of not so great wires, and don't mind climbing above them, it's probably not too bad. That sounds enticing, doesn't it? People do back off or get pretty scared on it regularly. I don't do the undercut start - the lefthand start is more midget friendly.
Memory tells me the start of Finger prince was pretty exciting too. Not much to the piton (which I assume is still the same piton from when I did it 15 years ago) and then another move or so to the good gear in the arete-corner thingy.
|
19-May-2009 4:10:27 PM
|
Thanks Wendy, good luck with the shoulder (AC problems ?)
I'm getting the impression that not many people climb Iron Void or.. they're holding out on the beta front !
|
19-May-2009 5:06:34 PM
|
You must be fired up by now Johnny .. need a belayer????
|
19-May-2009 6:26:59 PM
|
Quite a lot of beta coming here, so you might not want to read it if you don't want to know about moves as well as gear - not so much because it will spoil the purity of your experience but because I did the route about 5 years ago and this could probably all be just inaccurate enough to really sandbag someone (but I hope not). Great route.
I would agree with the idea that it would be good to have a shot at Finger Prince to give yourself some confidence for Iron Void. Despite being harder, Finger Prince is certainly better protected (and probably an even better route) – you will probably be able to get a small cam (tips/finger – old yellow metolius, old yellow HB or BD .3or.4?) in the shallow break next to the piton. I assume from the posts above that Iron Void has been upgraded to 23. I didn’t find the moves striking for 22 so I assume the grade is reflecting the pro, which I would say was fair enough.
You can get gear off the block – I had a 4 piece nest - to protect the start, which is pretty straight forward, and some pumpy to place gear just above that. Then things blank out a bit. In between some shallow nubbins of rock I was able to squeeze a couple of funny shaped nuts that I’d found but mostly it was a small array of less than thrilling bits between me and a larger, potentially very exciting fall for the move that I found to be the crux (which could just be because I frighten easily).
I backed off at this point the first time I went to the route. An awkward (tenuous balance that feels worse than it turns out to be) move reaching up and left and then moving your body to centre under the good holds on the flake leads to easier moves to a good pocket break on the right (good finger/tips cams – same size as above), which make the world seem a better place. Above this the climbing is steady without being too hard, although it could easily get pumpy fiddling in wires. There is plenty of gear in the upper half: it is small but it seemed pretty good; provided the flake doesn’t rip off, which doesn't seem too likely.
|
20-May-2009 3:15:37 PM
|
Warning- Actual beta for the climb Iron Void coming from someone who has actually climbed it.... May be off topic.
Did it twice 4 years ago and belayed grug on it yesterday. Scarry by most peoples standards. Bomber #1 walnut off block on left to start. Good holds on right side then jug on left up to good holds. Purple camalot at horizontal break. Another bomber #6 walnut. Traverse up and left easily. You are aiming for thin crack by blasted rock directly below really chalked up circular looking hold. A 0 walnut (REAL SMALL) goes in the crack. It is as good as this piece of gear can get in the world. You can also get in a Yellow Metolius Tri-Cam at traverse in a very unlikely vertical crack. Impossible to desribe the placement. The 0 wire is good. Then do the crux. Get circle chalked hold with L hand high step up with sidepulls for right hand. I did a foot swap from L to R on the only other good foothold.to go back L to the jug. Plenty of gear - #4-#7 walnuts. Then keep motoring left on decent holds.
wow!
|
20-May-2009 3:20:09 PM
|
Now thats the true definition of "beta"!
|
20-May-2009 3:23:41 PM
|
On 20/05/2009 Sabu wrote:
>Now thats the true definition of "beta"!
... or sandbag!
;-P
|
20-May-2009 10:30:39 PM
|
On 20/05/2009 crazyjohn wrote:
>
>Did it twice 4 years ago and belayed grug on it yesterday.
>
>wow!
You did it twice four years ago - why? It's nice but isn't that good a route - so why would you do it a
second time when there is an ample supply of good routes at Mount Arapiles?
I've heard rumours that you drink beer and goon and get drunk. YOU ARE F"ING OUT THERE LIKE
PLUTO DUDE.
Respect. Serious respect.
|
21-May-2009 9:57:42 AM
|
Thanks CrazyJohn....can you do me a deal on a phone too ?
|
6-Mar-2010 12:23:56 PM
|
Good to hear my climb is still appreciated by a few. It was NOT put up for the masses,
hence the name 'Iron void' no fixed protection, very much the fashion of the day.'Lois lane' another fine example of real climbing. Protection was and is for keeping you alive not to make it easy
|
6-Mar-2010 12:43:17 PM
|
I'm a bolter and going to install a via feratta tomorrow and at the same time Tony, respect. Great comment.
|
6-Mar-2010 7:20:47 PM
|
On 6/03/2010 Tony Dignan wrote:
>Good to hear my climb is still appreciated by a few. It was NOT put up
>for the masses,
>hence the name 'Iron void' no fixed protection, very much the fashion
>of the day.'Lois lane' another fine example of real climbing. Protection
>was and is for keeping you alive not to make it easy
Ground up or pre-inspected? I am not trying to start anything, just curious.
|
8-Jul-2010 9:47:01 PM
|
I never pre-inspected climbs at Arapiles.
' Established anarchy' at Mt. Buffalo, much to my shame i pre bolted. Abseil down climb out un-roped was my dream !!
|
8-Jul-2010 9:57:24 PM
|
On 8/07/2010 tony dignan wrote:
>' Established anarchy' at Mt. Buffalo, much to my shame i pre bolted.
>Abseil down climb out un-roped was my dream !!
... care to share with us your thoughts on Clouded Queen?
(For those unfamiliar with the route it was a ground up ascent with a hand drill ...)
|
8-Jul-2010 10:04:51 PM
|
is 'clouded queen' a real climb ?
|